Parkinson's disease, also known as 'shaking palsy', is a degenerative disorder of the nervous system that negatively affects motor function. According to the website 'apotheker.de', the official portal for German pharmacists, when Parkinson's disease develops, brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter 'dopamine' die, leading to motor symptoms such as tremors at rest, slow movement, muscle stiffness, and balance problems. The symptoms also include non-motor issues, such as sleep problems and daytime sleepiness, dizziness, pain, loss of smell, and changes in memory. Parkinson's disease does not present in the same way in all patients; an Australian study involving nearly 11,000 people showed that symptoms and the course of the disease differ between men and women. Men were older at the onset of symptoms, with an average of 64.4 years compared to 63.7 years for women, and the disease was diagnosed in men at a later stage (67.6 years versus 68.1 years). Symptoms also varied by gender; 70% of women reported pain, compared to 63% of men. Men also experienced more memory changes and showed significantly more impulsive behavior. In the study, 25% of participants had a family history of Parkinson's. However, only 10-15% of cases are due to mutations in specific genes, while the rest may be caused by environmental factors, as families often live in the same environment.
